Of Diners and Mid Term Papers
by sas420
Summary: a response to the 100 theme challenge over at psychfic.. What if Shawn and Juliet met before "psych"... AU
1. 10 Drive

Her eyes scanned the crowd, passed her friends, passed her family. They weren't who she was searching for (she knew they would be there) No she was looking for the face that made a promise to her four years ago.

She knew there was a great possibility that he wouldn't be there. Last time she checked he was in--where was he again? And so what if she hadn't seen him in four years, and they had only talked the previous year. He would turn up. He promised.

* * *

"Dude, can't you drive any faster?"

"No Shawn, not until you tell me where we're going."

"Gus." Shawn whined. "It doesn't matter right now, we don't have time to talk, turn left."

"No."

"Gus we're going to be late…In fact we are already late."

"…."

Shawn looked at his best friend, maybe he shouldn't have taken him on that road trip to Mexico. Ever since then, Gus had been even warier when traveling with him to an unknown destination. He paused for a moment and thought. Nope. It was worth every penny.

" Gu—"

"I'm not moving anywhere, until you tell me."

"You know you'd think that after twenty one years of friendship, there'd be a little trust." Gus didn't budge. It was a losing battle. "If you must know Gussie-dear, a friend of mine is graduating and I promised her I would be there." Shawn said the latter much softer than he started out with.

"_Her_?" Gus raised his eyebrows

"Gus aren't you going to start driving now?"

* * *

She smiled and clapped as another person went to collect their certificate, then scanned the crowd yet again. He still hadn't arrived. Maybe it was because she had hung up on him when he called. Well it wasn't her fault though. It had three years, and he didn't even say anything to her. Okay fine, she had gotten some occasional post cards, but that wasn't the point. The point was he hadn't showed up and he promised her that he would.

She shook her head. She was just being irrational. The ceremony hadn't finished yet. He

still had time. In any case, she needed to stop thinking about that, because it was really

beginning to dampen her spirits. She let out a sigh and hoped he would make it.

* * *

"Gus are you sure you can't drive any faster?"

"Shawn in case you haven't noticed this is a company car, a car that was given to me by the company I only recently joined. If anything happens to this car, which, by the way I need in tact because I need to make my rounds to the doctors…"

Shawn rolled his eyes and didn't bother to listen to the rest.

* * *

"Juliet O'Hara."

She got up and made her way over to the Dean. She could hear her parents clapping, (they had a very distinct sound from the others) but she didn't look.

"Go Jules!"

She whipped her head around. Only one person called her that. He gave her a wink and she smiled in return. There was never a doubt that he would be here.

Juliet realised that there was someone else beside him and figured that must've been Gus. Another promise he kept. She also realised the look on her father and brothers' face. Oh crap he was going to get it. As soon as the ceremony was over she would have to get him to leave, but for the time being he was good where he was.


	2. 1 Intro

**it just occured to me i forgot to put up the disclaimer...I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!!!!!!! not even a season one dvd sobs

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**

**September 1999**

Juliet sighed contently upon realization that Missy's Diner was still in existence. There had been talks that the owners Jonathan and Martha Wilbur could no longer pay the rent that the campus offered, but thankfully it was still there. The elderly couple was so friendly plus, honestly, they had the best coffee ever and after coming from Mister Grumpy-pants-pile-you-up-with-homework-in-your-first-week and just the whole stress of second year, she needed it. Now if only the stupid line would move. _What was causing the hold up? _Juliet thought to herself.

Five minutes later, when two people in front of her decided to leave, she realized the problem. It was a new employee. He was flirting with the girl now in front of her._ You'd think he would have had the word work ethic in his vocabulary. _She rolled her eyes as he said whatever it was that made the brunette giggle. She needed that coffee and no one would like to see a coffee deprived Juliet O'Hara.

"Excuse me but there are people here who actually want to buy something."

The lady turned around and looked at Juliet as if to say "who are you?" but Juliet made her way in front of the brunette. "I'd like to place my order now."

The man at the counter seemed to be fighting a smile at the whole scenario as if it were funny but stopped when he earned a glare from Juliet.

"I'll talk to you later then, right?" the brunette asked while about exiting the door.

"Sure." Now looking at Juliet he said, "You know it's very rude to interrupt a person's conversation," a mock smile on his face.

"And it is very rude to keep a customer waiting."

"Fair enough. So what's your order?" he said with a smug grin on his face.

* * *

Okay, so she really needed to stop staring at him. Well she was not staring at him, she was doing her work. _Sure that's right. _A voice said rather sarcastically in her head. Fine, she was staring at him, but it was only because she couldn't understand that stupid grin on his face or figure out what that mischievous look held. _Wait, why is he coming over here?_ Juliet took another swig of her coffee and opened her textbook.

She looked up as he took the seat in front of her. He was still wearing that ridiculous grin as if to say 'I know something you don't know'.

"What?"

"I was just going to say it's very distracting to have someone looking at you when you're supposed to be doing your job."

She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but was met with the same smug grin he had earlier. Really now, it was getting to be annoying…even if it was just the slightest, mildly cute.

"I wasn't staring at you."

"I didn't say that."

Okay so she really didn't like him, him and his stupid spiky hair. "Shouldn't you be at the counter taking orders?"

"Nope."

_Why is he so cheery? _It wasn't that she had anything against cheery people, in fact she is one…but today went horribly and now she had to start and finish a stupid paper that she had no idea even existed, of course only Mr. Grumpy-Pants would make something like that happened. He enjoyed writing zeroes.

Crap. Speak of the devil. Since when do professors come here? Diner Guy must've noticed her tense up because he looked in that direction also. Then she put the book on front of her face, in hopes that he wouldn't see her. Unfortunately it didn't work.

"O'Hara, aah just the person I wanted to see." There was an evil smirk on his face.

_Here it comes. Stupid Diner guy. I would've probably gotten my work done if he never held up the line. _

"I've been going around campus and would you believe the students claim that they never got the homework. I specifically told Charlie Humphrey to tell the rest of the class about it."

"Well, with all due respect sir, Charlie isn't a very reliable person."

"Still, they should have taken the initiative to do their work. They know how I work. I trust that you did your work Ms. O'Hara?"

Then he looked at the text book and the empty folder leaf.

"Are you just starting your work? I'm hope you know I'm not collecting it."

"Sir, it's not her fault." Juliet looked at him surprised but quickly wiped it off. If Grumpy-pants saw he'd know something was up. "She had the work with her, but then me and my clumsy self knocked the coffee over and it spilled all over the papers." He told it so well that you wouldn't believe it was a lie but the professor still looked skeptical. "I actually threw the paper away in the garbage back there. We could probably dig it up and show you."

At the latter Mr. Grumpy-pants, whose right name was Smith, crinkled his face and declined the offer. He gave Juliet ample time to 'redo' her paper and left.

"Well, I would say you owe me lunch," he said while leaning back on the chair.

Okay, so she should've probably smacked him at that point, since he was supposedly in her bad book already, but instead she laughed.

"Is that a no or yes?"

She ignored him and got up, then paused and turned around. "Diner guy--"

"Shawn."

"Shawn. Thank you for ..well, you know."

"It was nothing. Coming up with excuses is one of my many gifts." And again he went with the grin. Juliet started to think it was contagious.

"Okay. Well I guess I'll be seeing you around."

"Yeah you will …okay I'm going to need a name to finish the sentence."

"Juliet."

Shawn paused for a moment before saying anything. "Of course you'll see me around, Jules."

She took a final look back, then turned, smiled and shook her head. She was pretty sure he'd hold her to that.


	3. 30 Under the rain

There she was, in the rain, soaking wet and not to mention stranded! It was all _his_ fault. Why the hell had she even let him talk her into riding on the motorcycle. Now it was out of gas and the stupid rain had started falling. Okay so she had seen some dark clouds and should have known better, but it looked far away. She hadn't expected it to start pouring so quickly. She had finals the next day. She couldn't take an exam while being sick and she was most definitely going to be sick. This was the type of weather where you would enjoy in the comforts of your home, or dorm room. No she had to let Shawn talk her into it. She was never talking to him again. At that she snorted. Not like she was going to get to talk to him after the next day. She clutched herself tightly and it wasn't because of the cold.

"Jules, c'mon say something."

It was to no avail, she just shifted herself to the other part of the bike, refusing to talk to him.

"Jules you're being worse than Gus. The silent treatment is so immature."

She snapped her head up and looked at him. "I'm being immature?! Shawn look at yourself, everything for you is a game. _Everything_. You can't take anything serious. You're joking this thing off and _I_ have finals tomorrow Shawn. I'm going to get sick. God! For once can you just think about someone else for change? It's not about what's fun or nice. You need to grow up."

That one had hit him hard. He never expected it from Juliet. His dad yeah, but that was his dad. Nothing he did ever pleased the man, but Jules?

She saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. She knew she should apologize. She wanted to but she didn't. At this point she didn't want to have to talk to him. She wanted to be upset. He was leaving the next day. She had a right to be angry…didn't she?

For a while neither of them said anything. They sat there looking away from the other on silence. The only think breaking it was the heavy downpour above them and the occasional claps of thunder. In reality neither of them could've known about the storm, the weather had changed so rapidly. In fact in spite the dark clouds that were far away, the weather was perfect. Lots of people took advantage of it. The only difference was, they had a car, and Shawn and Juliet were on a bike.

Then she let out a sneeze.

Shawn's head whipped around. "You okay?"

"No my head did not just feel like it was about to be torn off." '_Great move O'Hara_' she thought as he turned his head around. Why was she feeling bad? Couldn't she go without a good hour without feeling bad? "Shawn," he voice small as she turned around to face him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those stuff. I guess I was just angry."

"You know, I could always make up an excuse. I'm an expert in that field."

She looked on him and expected herself to roll her eyes and say something along the lines of "of course you are". She didn't know how he did it, but he did. He could've said the most absurd, far out things, but people believed him. In any case those weren't the words that came out of her mouth.

"It's not that." She said it so softly that Shawn had almost not heard it.

"Oh." Registering what is was that had been bothering her.

"Will it be good-bye for good...or just good-bye for now?"

He looked at her. Her blue eyes were scanning his, ready to catch any lies, but there was also a little glimmer in them that dared to hope.

"I don't know." He sounded defeated. He knew him leaving had affected her, but he just didn't know to what extent and when he looked in her eyes it scared him. At the same time it had hurt him because he would never want to see her that sad.

"Well that's the way life goes I guess." He knew she was trying to be tough. Trying to put up a front, but it wasn't working. Her eyes were getting red and he knew those weren't rain drops running down her face.

"Hey." He said pulling her close. "If I have anything to say about though, it's just good-bye for now."

He looked at her with those infectious grins and it seemed to quell her own internal storm as she smiled back.

"Promise you'll come to my graduation though right?" Somewhat regaining her composure.

"Jules of course, why wouldn't I be there? Though I'm not entirely sure you family would approve." Shawn shuddered. Her father and her brothers hadn't exactly been kind to him and it was weird because he didn't even do anything, they just saw him in _Missy's Diner _talking to her and just made up their mind. He really hadn't done anything...that time.

"I'll let them see it my way."

He gave her a lop-sided grin and she smiled in return. They just stood like that, oblivious to the rain pounding on their shoulders. Until, that is, when a mini-van blew its horn and asked if they needed a ride.


	4. 2 Love

She knew it. Regardless of what he wanted to believe, she could see it. Hear it too, every time that she had broached the subject and when she confronted him about the estrangement, she saw it again.

He told her it's not something she would've liked to hear, tried to change the topic with some random comment. It had come out strained, forced, not like Shawn Spencer at all. She wouldn't hear any of it though. She had to know; needed to know why it was that his father was never was mentioned. What had caused the split between the two? Something big had gone down, that was for certain.

He realized she was not going to stop. Reluctantly he started the story. It really wasn't pretty.

She noticed it again while he related what happened. This time however, it wasn't a glimpse or shadow of it. His eyes, the ones that usually held a glint of mischief there, had darkened and his voice, his voice, normally playful, now had a bitter edge to it as he retold the countless number of times things had went wrong.

Then there was _the fight_. So many things that were wrong had been said. So many things. But it wasn't out of hate, as Shawn adamantly put it. No, he didn't hate his father, and she was pretty sure his father didn't hate him. Things were said out of anger, disappointment. They wanted the other to feel as hurt as they were, and although Shawn's voice did have the bitter edge to it, it was mixed with a certain sadness or regret if you wanted to call it that. No it was never hate, of that much she was certain.


	5. 5 Sorrow

okay yep next chapter...95 more in the making..lol...this is one of my favs despite the shortness...hope you like it ;)

Disclaimer: i don't own psych...isn't it obvious????

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She couldn't breathe. That was the first thing that hit her. How did this happen? How could she have let one person affect her so greatly, one person who wasn't even a permanent structure in her life. She was young. She did not need this…this heartache. But it had happened and regardless of what she would try and convince herself to believe. She was hurt. It was a kind of pain that she never thought was possible and damnit why was her chest stinging every time she breathed?!

Her breaths became shallower as she tried to keep a grip on reality, tried to reason with herself. She _should not _by any means be feeling this way.

How could he do that though, leave without saying good-bye? That was about the most inconsiderate thing he'd ever done, but then again she didn't know if she could take it. Keep her resolve while watching him go.

She took in a sharp breath. The pain had returned in the few seconds in which it had subsided and it was back with a vengeance. Now it was accompanied by the tears she tried so desperately not to fall. Clutching herself, she rocked back and forth, in hopes that it would somehow provide to be an anchor; Keeping her strong and in tact.

It didn't help.

The pains in her chest became sharper each time she tried to hold back a sob, only fueling her need to let it all out. Slowly but surely her resolve was breaking.

They said letting all out is good. It's not healthy to keep everything inside. Well whoever said that was a damn idiot in Juliet's mind. In fact as soon as she let it out, she felt the pain would never end. It just kept going on and on, for God knows how long. And when she finally stopped crying, she felt numb from all the pain but at the same time wasn't immune to it. Did that even make sense?

She shook her head and got up. She needed to stop this. Her room mate could come in any time and then start asking questions, questions she didn't know if she could answer without breaking down… '_again_' she thought bitterly to herself. She just needed to get a grip on herself, pull herself together and hold her head up high and smile in that Juliet O'Hara manner.

But of course, she still had to feel that throbbing ache in her chest, formerly known as her heart. She's heard people talk about it, die over it, before she used to sympathize with them, but now, now she could actually _empathize_ with them and she could now come up with a conclusion.

There is no pain, no pain greater than that of heart ache.

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So...do you know what's really nice R&R :) 


	6. 3 Light

"Aaaah

"Aaaah!" A high-pitched, girly sound came from Shawn. Said person was now dancing around in little circles on his tip-toes and his companion just shook her but with raised eyebrows as she was curious to know what he was doing.

"I see a light….There are little sugar plum fairies, bouncing up and down, to and from, from leaf to leaf." He was now throwing petals in Juliet's hair.

"Shawn what are you--?"

"Shhh, you're interrupting my vision." His voice now going back to it normal pitch.

Juliet looked on him, not knowing what to think. _A vision, seriously?_ She knew she should get used to it by now, Shawn's crazy antics, but somehow she always found herself wondering: (a) if he escaped from a mad house (b) how in the world did his best friend put up with him, she had heard the stories of their 'adventures' when they were kids growing up, she had also heard of the injuries that went along with them, but that's why they were best friends and (c) how he knew the things he did, yeah sure he has a photographic memory, but…she shook her head she did not have time at the moment to think about the riddle that is Shawn Spencer.

"Your vision Shawn?" '_He really has finally lost it_.'

"Yes and…wait." He now put his index and middle finger to temple, his thumb perpendicular to them and the other two slightly curled. His hazel eyes were now closed giving the impression that he was thinking hard about something. He opened them, and she didn't know if it was the light, but his eyes seemed to dance. She shook away the thought. "It's not sugar plum fairies."

"It's not." She said sarcastically.

"No it isn't, and I don't appreciate that tone young lady." He waved a finger at her and she smirked.

"Why don't you just admit you don't know where I was?"

She was supposed to meet him just outside Missy's Diner earlier, but she had decided to visit her little 'hide-out' (as she so fondly called it) earlier to clear her mind off some stuff. When she came, Shawn was curious where she went that was outside campus, she said, "nowhere", he said, "alright but I already know" and then they ended up there.

"It's actually…a mountain lion?"

_'What's the number for the psychiatric ward again?' _Juliet thought to herself and then shook her head.

"Wait no." he said while holding up a hand. "Mountain Dew? No…no…yes. YES! It was the dew drops on the leaves. The light reflecting off of it gives and impression of fairies. The spirits got confused sorry about that Jules. Oooh oh I'm getting something else." He know went back to his 'psychic pose.' I can see something…but it's not where it appears to be." Juliet lifted an eyebrow in confusion, '_what is he talking about now?'_ I'm seeing again, it's bouncing off of something?" He hopped twice, eyes still closed. "But from what?"

"A mirror." Juliet suggested.

"No, no Jules. Are you trying to throw me off?" he grinned and closed his eyes again.

"Water." She said, with a bit more enthusiasm compared to the previous. She was mildly, only mildly intrigued; just to see if he would get it right.

"You're on fire! Well actually water.How does that work?" he asked no one in particular.

"Shawn!"

"Oh ye..right..water...It's the lake near campus."

She was now smiling. '_How does he do that?_' "How did you know?"

Shawn grinned that 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' grin. The one that didn't need the sickly sweet sing song voice along with it.

She glared at him.

"Photographic memory and extremely heightened observational skills." He paused, then added rather dramatically, "my gift and curse."

"Shawn." She said getting irritated.

"On the bottom of your shoes," Juliet looked down. "There's pine grass, none of that grows here."

"Yeah but that still doesn't tell how you knew I was at the lake."

"True, but you mentioned it already, that it's your secret hide-out." His eyes danced playfully as he said it. _'Stupid light keeps shining on them' _ "And," his tone now serious and softer, eyes piercing, "after your dad's heat-attack, you needed to clear you head."

Juliet seemed to find a sudden interest in her hands as a sad smile came over her face and an uncomfortable silence fell between the two.

"Did anyone ever tell you, you'd make a great cop?" She asked hoping to lighten the mood.

He laughed a hollow laugh. It seemed so weird coming from him. "My dad wanted me to be one….i never quite lived up to it." Now it was his turn to take a sudden interest in his hands.

"You'd make a horrible psychic though." She threw him a playful smirk, light dancing in her eyes.

_'Maybe she was a fairy.' _ Shawn laughed at the thought.

"But you see thing is Jules, you'd never be able to prove it."


	7. 11 Memory

okay so as you can see, this chpt is sorta present day..cuz this is when she's working at the SBPD enjoy!oh ye..i don't own anything :P

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**July 2006**

Juliet sat took a seat and waited nervously but didn't show it. What kind of detective would she be if she was nervous? Well it wasn't nervousness really, maybe she was anxious. She shook her head and opened the newspaper in front of her. She was on a sting operation and she had better act like she wasn't then everyone's cover would be blown.

A sting operation.

She had just transferred the day before and she was already on a case. She smiled she could tell that the SBPD was different from Miami PD and she was glad about that fact. There were so many things that had happened there that she just wanted to leave behind. The first reason, they didn't take her seriously enough there. It was as if _she _didn't go through the same training they did. It was hard to get respect from people who wouldn't even listen to your opinions, then there was Jake, her partner. That was another mistake in itself. A mistake she didn't want to think about when she was doing her work, or just at all.

"Err excuse me. You're in my seat."

That voice work her from her thoughts and she was almost certain that her stomach did a weird, if however slight, flip-flop. She wasn't sure if it was a memory in the guise of a hallucination but then again that had never happened to her before. In fact after he left she went on quite fine, well minus the first month or so, but that wasn't the point a memory that should've stayed a memory was here.

She looked up. He was really there and if it did happen to be a hallucination it seemed very real.

"Am I?"

He nodded, "Actually yes you are."

Juliet wasn't sure how exactly true that was, knowing his compulsion to flirt with almost anyone. Maybe she'll pull his leg for just a little bit.

"Are you one of those weirdo compulsives who come to the same restaurant, sit in the same chair and eat the same food everyday?"

That one seemed to get him and for a moment he did actually smile.

"No, no, I was sitting right there three minutes ago and then I went outside to get myself a paper. I ordered a juice and look! I made a crawling snake with the straw wrapper. You can finish it if you think you're up to the job." he handed the "snake" to Juliet.

He really hadn't changed a bit from the last time she saw him.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to move?"

"Not anymore." Taking the seat next to her, smiled. "So what's up Jules?"

Somewhere in the back of her mind it occurred to her that she was supposed to be working, instead she got caught up in the memory that would eventually leave, like he always did.

"I can't talk right now."

"You know Jules; if I didn't know better I would say you were trying to avoid me."

Juliet gave a soft chuckle. It was funny how close to the truth that was. "Look Shawn, if it were any other day I would've been happy to talk, but right here, right now, I can't."

Shawn put and hand to his heart in mock hurt, while giving her the puppy eyes. Was he trying to kill her?

Then the diner door opened and Juliet froze in place. Smile wiping off her face, she reached for her bag, or rather what was in it. Soon enough everything was fitting in to place to Shawn; where she sat, the creepy guy who just walked in, her defensive stance when he did, "Oh, _that's _why you couldn't talk."

"Shawn I'm going to need you to do me a favour." Damn. She really didn't want to pull her gun, but she had to.

"Name it."

"DUCK!" grabbing out her gun she pointed it towards the man, along with some other out-of-uniform-officers. Hands shaking, she hoped to God that she didn't have to use it and taking a sigh of relief when it was over.

Shawn was looking at her, smiling smugly as he did the first day they met and she felt the sudden urge to smack him at the back of his head.

"First time pulling your gun." It wasn't a question really, more of a statement disguised as a question, which made it even harder for Juliet to force down that need to cause harm to the man in front of her.

"Shut up Shawn." And with that she left. Only turning around before she walked through the door. He was smiling.

"So you're working here now?"

"Yea."

"Well I'll be seeing you around."

Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. She remembered him saying that he won't be going back to Santa Barbara any time soon, of course people do change, and good amount of time had passed since then.

Seeing her confused face, he then said. "Haven't you heard, I'm the head Psychic at the SBPD."


End file.
